Netflix Kills ‘Stranger Things’ Bar With Kindness

If you thought a Stranger Things bar, The Upside Down, in Chicago was too good to be true. Well, it is. Netflix informed the owners of the bar that it will have to shut down on October 1, ending the bars scheduled six-week run. The owners of the bar, who also own Emporium Logan Square, were hoping to extend the run to the end of October, but it turns out making money off of someone else’s work without their permission is illegal.

Instead of sending the Demogorgon into The Upside Down and having it destroy the bar immediately, Netflix was actually pretty understanding. Here’s what the letter they sent the owners read:

“My walkie talkie is busted so I had to write this instead. I heard you launched a Stranger Things bar at your Logan Square location. Look, I don’t want you to think I’m a total wastoid, and I love how much you guys love the show. (Just wait until you see Season 2!) But unless I’m living in the Upside Down, I don’t think we did a deal with you for this pop-up. You’re obviously creative types, so I’m sure you can appreciate that it’s important to us to have a say in how our fans encounter the worlds we build.

We’re not going to go full Dr. Brenner on you, but we ask that you please (1) not extend the pop-up beyond its 6 week run ending in September, and (2) reach out to us for permission if you plan to do something like this again.

We love our fans more than anything, but you should know that the demigorgon is not always as forgiving. So please don’t make us call your mom”

Bravo, Netflix and Stranger Things. I already liked the show, but the way they handled this makes me like it even more.

Based on their letter, I have a feeling that the pop-up will be returning to Chicago, and possibly other cities, in the near future. There’s too much money to be made and plenty of Eggos to go around.